Lens barrel and photographing apparatus

Abstract

A lens barrel is provided with: a first movable frame and a second movable frame of a plurality of movable frames that are coaxially disposed to be movable back and forth to a stationary main frame and are inserted telescopically into the stationary frame; and two U-shaped support and drive members each having a first engagement portion, wherein each of the support and drive members is constituted of two arm portions, a second engagement portion, and a coupling member which connects the two arm portions. The first movable frame is driven by one of the support and drive members, and the second movable frame and the first movable frame are engaged with each other.

1. A lens barrel which holds a lens, comprising:
 (a) a stationary main frame; 
 (b) a plurality of movable frames that are coaxially disposed to be movable back and forth relative to the stationary main frame in a direction of an optical axis of the lens barrel and are inserted telescopically into the stationary frame, the plurality of movable frames including: 
 a first movable frame which moves to a farthest position away from the stationary main frame; and 
 a second movable frame which moves to a next farthest position close to the farthest position where the first movable frame moves, at which the second movable frame is engaged with the first movable frame; and 
 (c) two U-shaped support and drive members each having a first engagement portion, which is rotatably engaged with a periphery of the first movable frame on the same plane or two planes perpendicular to the optical axis, pivots of the support and drive members being orthogonal to each other; 
 wherein each of the support and drive members comprises two arm portions which are engaged with the first movable frame at the first engagement portion, a second engagement portion which is engaged with the stationary main frame on an opposite side of the first engagement portion, and a coupling member which connects the two arm portions; 
 wherein the second engagement portion is pivotally supported on the stationary main frame, the first movable frame is driven by at least one of the support and drive members; 
 wherein the arm portions of the first engagement portion have a pin, and the first movable frame has an elongated hole which is engaged with the pin at the first engagement portion; and 
 wherein the second movable frame has an elongated hole, and the pin of the arm portion of the support and drive member which drives the first movable frame, penetrates the elongated holes of the first and second movable frames. 
 
   
   
     2. The lens barrel of  claim 1 , wherein one of the two support and drive members follows movement of the first movable frame that the other support and drive member drives. 
   
   
     3. The lens barrel of  claim 2 , wherein the first movable frame has a square-shaped mount, when the first movable frame is moved, the two support and drive members are in slidingly contact with an inner surface of the first movable frame. 
   
   
     4. The lens barrel of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of movable frames are composed of the first and second movable frames, and when the first movable frame is moved from a collapsed state in which the first movable frame is stored in the stationary main frame to a position in which the first movable frame is moved to a farthest position away from the stationary main frame, the first movable frame is engaged with the second movable frame to a predetermined position. 
   
   
     5. The lens barrel of  claim 4 , wherein the elongated hole of the second movable frame has a straight line portion and a circular arc portion, the first and second movable frames are integrally moved when the pin of the arm portion of the support and drive member is engaged with the straight line portion, and the second movable frame is not moved when the pin of the first engagement portion is engaged with the circular arc portion. 
   
   
     6. The lens barrel of  claim 1 , further comprising a driven member that includes two arm portions, each of one ends of which is engaged with the second movable frame and each of the other ends of which is pivotally supported on the first movable frame, and follows movement of the second movable frame. 
   
   
     7. The lens barrel of  claim 6 , wherein the second movable frame has a square-shaped mount, when the second movable frame is moved, each of the arm portions of the driven member are in slidingly contact with an inner surface of the second movable frame. 
   
   
     8. A lens barrel which holds a lens, comprising;
 (a) a stationary main frame; 
 (b) a plurality of movable frames that are coaxially disposed to be movable back and forth relative to the stationary main frame in a direction of an optical axis of the lens barrel and are inserted telescopically into the stationary frame, the plurality of movable frames including: 
 a first movable frame which moves to a farthest away position away from the stationary main frame; and 
 a second movable frame which moves to a next farthest position close to the farthest position where the first movable frame moves, at which the second movable frame is engaged with the first movable frame; and 
 (c) two U-shaped support and drive members each having a first engagement portion, which is rotatably engaged with a periphery of the first movable frame on the same plane or two planes perpendicular to the optical axis, pivots of the support and drive members being orthogonal to each other; 
 wherein each of the support and drive members comprises two arm portions which are engaged with the first movable frame at the first engagement portion, a second engagement portion which is engaged with the stationary main frame on an opposite side of the first engagement portion, and a coupling member which connects the two arm portions; 
 wherein the second engagement portion is pivotally supported on the stationary main frame, the first movable frame is driven by at least one of the support and drive members; 
 wherein the plurality of movable frames are composed of the first and second movable frames, and when the first movable frame is moved from a collapsed state in which the first movable frame is stored in the stationary main frame to a position in which the first movable frame is moved to a farthest position away from the stationary main frame, the first movable frame is engaged with the second movable frame to a predetermined position; 
 wherein the first movable frame comprises a first contact portion which comes in contact with the second movable frame when the lens barrel is collapsed, and the lens barrel further comprises an urging member which urges the second movable frame toward the first contact portion and an object side; and 
 wherein the stationary frame comprises a second contact portion with which the second movable frame comes in contact, and when the first and second movable frames are moved from the collapsed state toward the object side, the first movable frame is integrally moved with the second movable frame until the second movable frame comes in contact with the second contact portion. 
 
   
   
     9. The lens barrel of  claim 8 , wherein after the second movable frame comes in contact with the second contact portion, movement of the second movable frame is stopped. 
   
   
     10. A lens unit comprising:
 (a) a lens system which forms an image of a photographic object on an image pickup surface of an image pickup element, the lens system including a first lens group to which light from the object is incident, and a bending member which bends an optical axis of the first lens group substantially at a right angle, the bending member is held insertably and removably with respect to the optical axis; and 
 (b) a lens system holding member which holds the lens system, including a lens barrel which holds a lens further comprising:
 (1) a stationary main frame; 
 (2) a plurality of movable frames that are coaxially disposed to be movable back and forth relative to the stationary main frame in a direction of an optical axis of the lens barrel and are inserted telescopically into the stationary frame, the plurality of movable frames including: 
 a first movable frame which moves to a farthest position away from the stationary main frame; and 
 a second movable frame which moves to a next farthest position close to the farthest position where the first movable frame moves, at which the second movable frame is engaged with the first movable; and 
 (3) two U-shaped support and drive members each having a first engagement portion, which is rotatably engaged with a periphery of the first movable frame on the same plane or two planes perpendicular to the optical axis, pivots of the support and drive members being orthogonal to each other; 
 wherein each of the support and drive members comprises two arm portions which are engaged with the first movable frame at the first engagement portion, a second engagement portion which is engaged with the stationary main frame on an opposite side of the first engagement portion, and a coupling member which connects the two arm portions; 
 wherein the second engagement portion is pivotally supported on the stationary main frame, the first movable frame is driven by at least one of the support and drive members. 
 
 
   
   
     11. A photographing apparatus comprising:
 (a) the lens unit of  claim 10 ; and 
 (b) an image pickup element which converts an image of the object formed by the lens system of  claim 10  into electric signals. 
 
   
   
     12. The lens unit of  claim 10 , wherein in the lens barrel, the plurality of movable frames are composed of the first and second movable frames, and when the first movable frame is moved from a collapsed state in which the first movable frame is stored in the stationary main frame to a position in which the first movable frame is moved to a farthest position away from the stationary main frame, the first movable frame is engaged with the second movable frame to a predetermined position. 
   
   
     13. The lens unit of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first movable frame comprises a contact portion which comes in contact with the second movable frame when the lens barrel is collapsed, and the lens barrel further comprises a urging member which urges the second movable frame toward the first contact portion, 
 wherein the stationary main frame comprises a second contact portion with which the second movable frame comes in contact, and when the first and second movable frames are moved from the collapsed state toward the object side, the first movable frame is integrally moved with the second movable frame until the second movable frame comes in contact with the second contact portion, and 
 wherein after the second movable frame comes in contact with the second contact portion, movement of the second movable frame is stopped. 
 
   
   
     14. The lens unit of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the arm portion of the support and drive member has a pin, the first movable frame has an elongated hole, the second movable frame has an elongated hole which has a straight line portion and a circular arc portion, 
 wherein the pin of the support and drive portion which drives the first movable frame, penetrates the elongated holes of the first and second movable frames, and 
 wherein the first and second movable frames are integrally moved when the pin of the arm portion of the support and drive member is engaged with the straight line portion, and the second movable frame is not moved when the pin of the arm portion of the support and drive member is engaged with the circular arc portion. 
 
   
   
     15. The lens unit of  claim 12 , wherein the bending member is inserted and removed at the predetermined position with respect to the optical axis. 
   
   
     16. The lens unit of  claim 12 , wherein the first movable frame has a square-shaped mount, when the first movable frame is moved, the two support and drive members are in slidingly contact with an inner surface of the first movable frame.